Recent reviews by Gui

The negative reviews make no sense, this DLC is very good. Fun story arc and interesting battles. The music is plain awesome too.
Just know what it is: an endgame zone with long battles that play a bit different than from the usual ones: there is usually an endless spawn of enemies and you need to do stuff to stop it and win, like activating switches etc...

It is challenging but not that difficult if your party is decent and lvl 20+. I really have a blast (pun intended).

The only drawback is that you can't save in fights and they can last a fairly long time (30mins).

It is a decent game, definitely original with very good tabletop feelings, but there is no in-game journal to help with the meta game. For instance knowing weaknesses of bosses already encountered is key to planning and runs are roughly 3h
So after picking up the game after a while and forgetting the details I had the feeling it did not respect my time and will probably leave it at 20h.
No proper Wiki either.

So it is a yes, but beware of this shortcoming.

Wartales is a bloated alpha:
- Complex systems and no tutorial
- AI is hopelessly stupid
- UI is really really janky, almost Kenshi level of janky
- There is a big world but no lore (after 11h). Feels way too sandboxy with super generic quests and soulless NPCs

The fights and the game loops are fairly good but this is no way a polished product in a position to sell 2 DLCs. The devs do work on the game but seem fairly distant.
Guys, there are so many BETTER teams out there...

This game is better than Xcom2, Jagged Alliance 3 and Fell Seal, pretty much on all aspects.
On top of it the slightly clumsy English translation gives it a poetic atmosphere.

TL;DR: A very good tactical RPG set in an original world. Very talented solo dev that I add to my watchlist. A few rough edges but nothing major.

Pros:

• The world of Kingsvein is truly unique, we're talking hybrids of men and stone living in the underground
  
• The gameplay is equally unique, I played quite a few combat RPGs and I felt like a newbie with this game, it mixes elegantly different systems and creates its own rhythm. It worked very well for me
  
• Optional grind to fine-tune builds, thanks !
  
• Excellent balance between story railroading and player freedom. So many nooks and crannies to explore and story fights one can try at any point in the game.

Cons

• Skill descriptions are often obscure, I failed to understand how to use several of them
  
• Clunky inventory management
  
• Limited replay value, so the unlocks after beating the game could be initial choices
  
• Not a real con for me, but the art assets very pink and dark, double check the screen shots

Sometimes I break my rule of only letting a review for games I finished because a hidden gem deserves more visibility.
This is one of these cases, the game is better and deeper than what the store suggests, go buy it!

I am too old to be good at this, seriously.

TL;DR: A very well executed turn by turn strategic RPG that feels pretty sandboxy. I am going to petition for a Kickstarter for Urtuk 2 !

Pros:

• A ton of player agency to create and customize the most formidable rag tag gang roaming the wastelands. Weapons, mutators, skills to discover and level... Urtuk has them all
  
• Everything you encounter has a chance to be recruited. Werewolf fighting alongside an Elder Vampire under the cover of a human sniper ? It is called a Tuesday around here
  
• No RNG, fights are games of chess. You can blame only yourself when you lose
  
• Difficulty for all tastes
  
• Theoretical replay value (see below)

Cons:

• We need MOOOAARRR, Urtuk is a never ending sandbox with a stat check for final boss. The dev did flesh out the lore, but... not in the game. There should be so much more to do, rather than playing the same 10ish missions
  
• The above prevented me and I guess others to replay the game with another faction in another difficulty. Over 45h was enough for me. That is a real shame because there are many factions and some unlocks
  
• Clunky inventory and team management, seriously

TL;DR: This is a well-done RPG Maker game with some original twists compared to classics of the genre. While one can feel the solo dev was still cutting its teeth, the low price point more than makes it up for it. I have added Wolf Moon Studios to the list of indie dev I follow closely.

Pros:

• The whole system works, I like the leveling and the skills getting stronger as you use them etc...
  
• Lots of playable characters, lots of combinations and synergies to tinker with, this is simply cool
  
• Lots of shiny loot early, at 6h in the game I have already a sword called Soul Stealer
  
• The story seems to unfold in an original way, we barely know who the PC is, and why monsters are after him. Then the curtain rises slowly. I am still too early to have a strong opinion on the story, so I might edit later

Cons:

• Age marks like benched characters not leveling, poor equipment comparison when buying in shops and this kind of stuff
  
• Crafting is optional, but crafting weapons and armor is verfy powerful. And leveling mining could not be more tedious: clicking repeatedly on a rock block with enough pick axes in the inventory

I haven't played much yet but I know a good old RPG with DnD vibes when I see one.
And the Trese brothers update their games relentlessly, even this one after 10yrs. That alone deserves a blue thumb.